New chaplains to serve Placer community

courtesyJohn Akers, senior chaplain for the Placer County Law Enforcement Chaplaincy, addresses chaplaincy school graduates at the organization’s recent ceremony. On the right is Undersheriff Devon Bell.

Placer County now has 18 new chaplains to serve its law enforcement officers and community.
The Placer County Law Enforcement Chaplaincy held a graduation ceremony recently at Parkside Church in Auburn for the volunteers.
The chaplaincy is a nonprofit group founded in 1986. It runs on grants and community donations. Chaplains aid law enforcement agencies in Placer County as well as counseling community members in times of need. Their day-to-day operations include a number of duties ranging from bringing an officer a cup of coffee during a late night on the scene of an accident to talking with family members after a death notification.
The new Community and Law Enforcement Chaplains completed 65 hours of specialized training on topics including death notifications, crime scenes, critical incident stress, suicide, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and coroner procedures.
Undersheriff Devon Bell and Senior Chaplain John Akers spoke to the graduates and their families at the ceremony.
“What (the chaplains) have chosen to do, not everyone can do,” Akers said. “It takes courage, dedication and a commitment to others that goes far beyond normal caring. It is demanding work, but it is work that matters.”
For more information on the chaplaincy visit placerchaplains.com.
~Bridget Jones